OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to demonstrate the activities and phosphorylation changes induced by acute ethanol treatment and withdrawal conditions in the intracellular signal transduction molecules [such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta), and Akt] of the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line. METHODS: The acute treatment exposed SH-SY5Y cells to 100 mM ethanol, and we took samples 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 24 hours after initiating this treatment. After 24 hours' continuous ethanol treatment, we initiated ethanol withdrawal, taking samples at 30 minutes and 60 minutes. We assayed the kinase phosphorylations via an immunoblot analysis using phosphorspecific antibodies, quantified by optical densitometry. RESULTS: Ethanol treatment induced a transient increase in phosphorylation of GSK3beta and Akt at 30 minutes but failed to change the phosphorylation level of ERK. Ethanol withdrawal induced a transient ERK phosphorylation increase at 30 minutes, but it had no effect on the phosphorylation of GSK3beta or Akt. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the ethanol-induced cellular response includes the ERK, GSK3beta, and Akt systems. In particular, the ERK pathway may play a role in the acute withdrawal response. This also suggests that a relatively short exposure to ethanol, such as the 24-hour exposure in this study, can induce functional adaptation within a cell.
Antibodies ; Cell Line ; Densitometry ; Ethanol ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; Glycogen Synthase Kinases ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Neuroblastoma ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Signal Transduction

No abstract available.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Foreign Bodies* ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Granuloma ; Lasers, Gas* ; Lip*

No abstract available.
Dapsone* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic*

This study investigated the effect of leuprolide acetate treatment on sex offenders' sexual fantasies and behaviors, as well as on their criminogenic psychological character and the risk of second conviction. The study participants consisted of 22 sex offenders who were confined to the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry. Among them, 9 patients were given off-label leuprolide acetate for three months to inhibit sexual impulses, whereas the others were not given any medication. All sex offenders underwent two psychological evaluations; the first evaluation was conducted before starting medication, and the second was conducted after medication. Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ), the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMAS), and the Endorsement of Violence Scale (EVS) were used for evaluation. Leuprolide acetate-treated sex offenders showed a statistically significant decline in the total WSFQ score (p < 0.05). However, the RMAS and EVS scores did not differ after leuprolide acetate treatment, indicating that cognitive distortions like rape myth acceptance and endorsement of violence were unchanged after leuprolide medication. Leuprolide acetate may reduce deviant sexual impulses and fantasies, as suggested by previous research form Korea and other countries. However, it probably cannot alter cognitive distortion. On the basis of these findings, we recommend a combination of leuprolide medication and other therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, for the treatment of paraphilic sex offenders.
Cognitive Therapy ; Criminals ; Fantasy ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Humans ; Korea ; Leuprolide ; Paraphilic Disorders ; Rape ; Violence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study aimed to classify individuals who had perpetrated child sexual abuse according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) typologies of child molesters and to assess the correlations between sociodemographic and criminal variables. We examined a total of 26 patients diagnosed with pedophilia (DSM-IV-TR criteria) who had been hospitalized in the National Forensic Hospital for Cure Custody. Data were obtained through self-administered questionnaires and reviews of patient records. Patients were classified into preferential offenders or situational offenders based on FBI typologies. Current and first offense ages of preferential offenders were younger than those of situational offenders. Preferential offenders were more likely to have been exposed to sexual abuse during childhood, and were more likely to watch child pornography than situational offenders (p < 0.05). Additionally, recidivists had lower IQs (intelligence quotient), lower levels of education, and longer illness durations than first-time offenders (p < 0.05). A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that IQ and duration of illness might be risk factors of recidivism, although results were not statistically significant (p < 0.1). We found that classification of individuals who had sexually abused children into preferential or situational types, based on FBI typologies, provided on pedophile characteristics and probability of recidivism. We highly recommended that low IQ patients receive intensive treatment and education in order to reduce the possibility of future offenses.
Child Abuse, Sexual ; Child* ; Classification ; Criminals ; Education ; Erotica ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Pedophilia* ; Risk Factors ; Sex Offenses ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: In sepsis, large scale inflammatory responses can cause extensive collateral damage to the vasculature, because both coagulation and fibrinolysis are activated unevenly. Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) plays a role in modulating fibrinolysis. Since TAFI can be activated by both thrombin and plasmin, it is thought to be affected in sepsis. Hence, activated and inactivated TAFI (TAFIa/ai) may be used to monitor changes in sepsis. METHODS: TAFIa/ai-specific in-house ELISA can detect only the TAFIa/ai form, because the ELISA capture agent is potato tuber carboxypeptidase inhibitor (PTCI), which has selective affinity towards only the TAFIa and TAFIai isoforms. TAFIa/ai levels in plasma from 25 patients with sepsis and 19 healthy volunteers were quantitated with the in-house ELISA. RESULTS: We observed increased TAFIa/ai levels in samples from patients with sepsis (48.7+/-9.3 ng/mL) than in samples from healthy individuals (10.5+/-5.9 ng/mL). In contrast, no difference in total TAFI concentration was obtained between sepsis patients and healthy controls. The results suggest that TAFI zymogen was activated and that TAFIa/ai accumulated in sepsis. CONCLUSION: The detection of TAFIa/ai in plasma could provide a useful and simple diagnostic tool for sepsis. Uneven activation of both coagulation and fibrinolysis in sepsis could be caused by the activation of TAFI zymogen and elevation of TAFIa/ai. TAFIa/ai could be a novel marker to monitor sepsis and other blood-related disturbances.
Carboxypeptidase U ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibrinolysin ; Fibrinolysis ; Humans ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Plasma ; Protein Isoforms ; Sepsis ; Solanum tuberosum ; Thrombin

BACKGROUND: An early diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) before its progression to an overt stage is necessary for early treatment and positive outcomes. In 2001, the Scientific and Standardization Committee (SCC) of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) proposed new criteria for the preclinical diagnosis of overt and non-overt DICs. We investigated the clinical usefulness of the modified ISTH criteria for non-overt DIC diagnosis. METHODS: We enrolled 296 DIC patients (170 males and 126 females) admitted and evaluated at the Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea, between March 2006 and April 2007. Hemostatic tests, including platelet counts, prothrombin time (PT), D-dimer levels with antithrombin, and protein-C levels, were evaluated by excluding negative scores with clinical signs, in which more than 5 points of interest denoted non-overt DIC. Mortality rates were also evaluated. RESULTS: There were 289 patients with increased D-dimer levels and significant parametric changes suggesting DIC progression. Protein C and antithrombin levels were lower (99.2% each) and appeared earlier in patients with non-overt DIC than in patients with overt DIC. In all, 125 (43.3%) patients had non-overt DIC and, of which 27 died (mortality rate, 21.6%). The sensitivity and specificity for mortality were 73.0% and 55.9%, respectively, which were same as those for the original ISTH criteria. CONCLUSION: The modified ISTH criteria can be used for the early detection of non-overt DIC, and may be useful for the improvement of outcomes of non-overt DIC patients.
Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Early Diagnosis ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Platelet Count ; Protein C ; Prothrombin Time ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) among inpatients with schizophrenia, and to compare with general population. METHODS: Nine hundreds seventy inpatients were included to assess the prevalence of MS from two mental hospitals in Yong-in city. Assessment of MS was performed based on modified American Heart Association criteria with abdominal obesity threshold of 90cm for men, 85cm for women. Comparative analysis was performed using age- and gender matched sample from Korea Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III. For evaluating risk factors, analysis included 766 inpatients taking consistent medications at least for 30 days. RESULTS: The prevalence of MS of inpatients with schizophrenia was 26.2%, in females it was 33.2%, compared to 20.2% in males(p < 0.001). Compared to general population, the prevalence of MS was significantly lower in male and higher in female patients. In terms of criteria prevalence, who met abdominal circumference criterion were more prevalent in patient group(p < 0.001). After multivariate analysis, female gender and old age remained as risk factors of MS. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MS of inpatients with schizophrenia was 26.2% and significantly low compared to general population. Female gender and old age were risk factors of MS.
American Heart Association ; Female ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to estimate the prevalence of polydipsia and water intoxication and to identify risk factors of polydipsia and water intoxication in psychiatric inpatient. METHODS: 1,108 Psychiatric inpatients at 2 mental hospitals in Yongin city were studied from September, 2008 to January, 2009. We diagnosed'polydipsia' using staff reports(fluid intake>3L/day) or by specific gravity of urine(SPGU<1.008) and diagnosed'at risk for water intoxication' using normalized diurnal weight gain (NDWG>4%). We attempted to identify clinical characteristics of patients by reviewing their medical records. RESULTS: Two hundred forty seven patients(22.3%) were polydipsic. Sixty eight patients(6.1%) were at risk for water intoxication. The factors associated with polydipsia were lithium, smoking, younger age and increased smoking amounts. The factors associated with risk for water intoxication were valproic acid and polydipsia. CONCLUSION: Polydipsia and water intoxication in psychiatric inpatients are not rare conditions. Therefore, clinicians' attention should be paid to these conditions.
Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Lithium ; Polydipsia ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specific Gravity ; Valproic Acid ; Water Intoxication ; Weight Gain

Technologies in laboratory diagnostics are changing fast with progress in understanding and therapy of diseases. Unfortunately, new analyzers are often needed to be installed in a clinical laboratory to implement such techniques. The demand for new hardware is a bottleneck in improving the diagnostic services for many facilities with limited resources. In this regard, hemostasis laboratories take a slightly different position.Because many in vitro diagnostic tests target the functional aspects of hemostasis, further meaningful information can be obtained from the same analyzers as in current use.Automated coagulometers are good candidates for such further utilization. Clot waveform analysis is a leading example. Behind the simple values reported as clotting time, clotting curves exist that represent the process of fibrin clot formation. Clot waveform analysis examines the clotting curves and derives new parameters other than clotting times. The clot waveform parameters are now in active use in assessing the hemostatic potential of hemorrhagic patients. Clinical application of coagulometers can also be widened by modifying the reagent formulation. For example, the chromogenic factor VIII assay with bovine source reagent compositions has recently been introduced for hemophilia A patients on emicizumab prophylaxis. Also, new immunoturbidimetric functional assays for von Willebrand factor have been developed recently. Thus, new clinically relevant information can be mined from the automated coagulometers that are based on old technology